Propeller for navigable vessels.



No. 833,364. I PATENTED OCT. 16, 1906.

" J. A. ARTHUR.

PROPELLER FOR NAVIGABLE VESSELS.

APPLIOATION FILED PEB,15,1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 833,364. PATENTED OCT. 16, 1906.

1 J. A. ARTHUR.

I PROPELLER FOR NAVIGABLE VESSELS.

VAPPLIOATION IILED PEB.15',1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

- ilk/Z ATTOR UNITED.- sTA'rns PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH A. ARTHUR. OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

PROPELLER FOR NAVIGABLE VESSELS- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known .that I, Josnrn A. ARTHUR, a' citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut,*have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pro ellers for Navigable Vessels; and I do here y declare the following to be a full, clear, and ex act description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to propellers or screws for navigable vessels operated b steam or other'power; and it consists in t e use of a tapering shell .by which churning ofthe water is prevented and in the combination therewith of reversible blades or flukes of a peculiar construction and arrangement.

It iswell known that with screws of ordidary construction driven at a high speed the Water which receives ,the impact of the blades circulates and tends to returntoward the center, so that the blades tend to strike the same water as iii-circulates, called churning, and much power is wasted. I have overcome this by the use of a tapering shell rearwardly extending from the propeller and bythe use therewith of blades made concave on such a curve as to direct the water to a centen behind the point of the shell. cannot return to the center on account of the shell, andif it tends to return on the sides thereofit strikes directly against the water coming from the blades. The blades are j ournaled on suitable arbors or rock-shafts in the front portion of the shell, so that they rotate with the shell al- .Ways in one direction, diminishing the strain on the engine and connections and may be swung by suitable means to reverse them and drive the vessel in the opposite direction or to change their inclination with reference to the water more or less, feathering,) so that their'inclinationand the speed of the vessel may be easily and properly proportioned to ..their s eed of rotatlon.

As ere shown, the propeller is provided with two blades whose res ective rock-shafts are arranged to roll on eac other, permitting ence to the drawings herewith, in which. the

' Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed February 16,1906. Serial No. 246,720-

{blades Fig. III is a portion of Fig. I

The water f Patented Oct. 16, 1906.

. reference-numerals of the specification indicate the corresponding parts in all the figures. Figure I is a side elevation showing the various parts of my invention, with portions broken away and portions shown in section." Fig. II is an enlarged longitudinal section of the tapering shell and means for swinging. the

s owing a simple modification in the form and arrangement of the parts. Fig IV is a plan of a desirable form of blade. i V is a cross section of the blade on line V 0 Fig. IV. Fig. VI is a lon itudinal sectionof the blade on line VI of ig. IV. Fig. VII is an enlarged section of the thrust-bearing.

In the drawin s, 1 indicates the stern of the boat provide on each side with the hubpieces 2 tapering toward the front to part thefwater and prevent drag.

3 is the shaft, supported in ball-bearings or other suitable bearings 4 4 and connected by" any suitable means to the shell 6, carrying the blades 7. As here shown, this connection 'is a universal joint, permitting some freedom of movement between the arts to avoid strain and a change in inclinatlon of the shell. iif desired, to steer the boat.

The shaft is provided with fork 10, in which is journaled ball 11, fitting socket 12,in front ortion 13 of the shell, journaled on the ball. i he shell is rearwardly elon ated, with sides Zpreferably sli htly convex t e better to shed the water an avoid di a 'tion 13 of the shell is pre erably of spherical construction, fittin a socket in the stern of the vessel, and by t 's means and by the ball 11, fitting socket 12, the propeller is firmly secured and maintained in position and easy adjustment is permitted. Also by this connection the shaft is entirely inclosed and the drag of the Water and engagement with grass, floating objects, 620., is avoided. This shell is adapted by its form to receive in its-forward end in suitable bearings the parallel rock-shafts 14 14, arran ed in contact and each carrying one of the 'lades '7, which-are oppositely and reversely arranged, so as to cor) erate when rotating. To each rockshail is connected one or more lever-arms 16, each connected by a link 17 to opposite ends of cross-head 18, which is o erated in any" suitable Way, as by sliding shiftinggbar- 20 to swin or reverse the blades.- The var-arms mayIe arranged asshownin Figi III where Lthe hub is sufliciently large; but for-'rabsl/pm i to This front porposes l prefer the arrangement of arms shown in Fig. I, where each curves around the opposite rock-shaft, ivin a greater leverage 1n a smaller shell. rock-shaft affords a roller-bearing for the other, so that they roll or turn easily in opposite directions, and a long bearing and firm support is thus afforded for each blade.

As shown in Fig. IV, the blades are preferably formed with the greater portion behind'the' bladc axis :c, which permits easy revsrsingwithout strain or jerk on the shaft or engine. Their front or cutting edges y are also. preferably inclined or curved back 153 from the shell outwardly, which tends to clearthe blade of objects in the water,- such as..grass, ice, &c.. As the blades always rotate in the same direction they may be made con ave on theirfront faces and desirably with 2,05 an increased 1- pitch, so called, as the curve u of the blade increases from the front ed e to, the back, and thefront portion of the blade therefore meets the water at a finer angle, said a le (or curve) of meeting the water -gradual y and uniformly increasing toward. the back Fig. VI. From this increased pitch, the blade takes the water gradually with. less strain on the shaft, engine, &c., and when the blade is partially out of Water or on a dead-center, as in reversing, it opposes some resistance and prevents the engine. from running away. This increased pitch is combined in the blade with the natural screw and has the effect to increase the speed and. the power of the propeller, as it holds the water better. To swing the rock shafts'and blades, I connect to the shifting-bar a connecting-arm 25, pivotally supported on .shoe 26 and guided in guide-slot of bracket 27. The lower end 29 of said arm may be forked and arranged in groove between shoulders 30 on shifting-bar. Said arm is operated to swing the blades bya convenientlyarranged o crating-lever 35, sliding in bearin s 34 an operated by hand-lever 36, provi ed with a suitable latch 37 to engage with notches on the shoe or elsewhere andlock the parts in position. Bufier-springs 38 may be arranged betweenthe hand-lever and shoulders on o crating -lever. The shoe may be pivotal y supported at 41 and on I guide-bolt 42, so that it-may be swung by tiller-r0 e or other means, together with the shell an blades, to operate as a rudder. engage with guide-bolt 42, the shoe is slotted at 44, permitting longitudinal adjustment of its upper arm slightly .to raise or lower thepr0'pellerthat is, to incline it up or down to trim the vessel.

I do not wish 6o to'limit m self to the ar rangement of parts shown, :or that may bevaried. Particularly the means for swinging the blades is not limited to operate from the rear and above, but may be otherwise ar 5 ranged according to circumstances. Evi- 11 eit er arrangement each i dently the shoe and. external connecting arm would not be desirable for shallow waters in which grass, weeds, &c., were found.

. It will be understood that the blades must be locked in adjusted position, and in that connection the buffer-springs or equivalent buffer resistance is important to permit a certain resiliency to. the blades and to take up lost motion, whereby strain on the engine and other parts will be avoided. Like the "increased pitch of the blades it opposes a certain resistance and saves strain when the engine tends to run away.

As is well known, thrust-bearings are heavy and expensive, it being necessary to use many in large vessels to take up the great thrust of the shaft. I'have devised a thrustbearing which ma be used in connection with my peculiar s ell and other mechanism to take up the thrust by liquid pressure. This is simple and economical to construct and lubricates some-of the bearings.

On the shaft at any suitable point within the boat is fixed the piston 50, fitting within a case of any desirable construction, as of two .corresponding circular halves-5.1 51, fixed to any suitable part of the boat. The parts are so proportioned that at each end between :the piston and its case there are left spaces 43 44 to be filled by Water or other liquid (oil is desirable) from thetank 56, within which is maintained a sufficient air-pressure, as of several hundred pounds, to force the :liquid into said spaces through the tubes, 58

58 being check-valves to prevent backfiow' alternately diminished its corresponding pipe is closed; but when the space is increased the ipe is opened and a flow of water is permitte throughgroove 64 andchannel 63, insuring the filling of the spaces with water, which is forced out and leaks away to some extent under the great pressure. By this arrangement I provi ed a thrust-bearing against the end thrust of the shaft in either direction. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a propeller for navigable vessels, the

combination with the main shaft suitably journaled, of a tapering shell secured to the stern of the vessel and rearwardly extending therefrom, said shaft and shell being adapted to be rotated always in the same direction, blades journaled on said shell and outwardly extending therefrom, said blades being concave on their front faces which strike the water and means to shift the blades on their bearings. I

2. In a propeller for' navigable vessels, the ,combination with the main shaft-'journaled in'thef vessel and adapted to be turned in one direction, of a tapering shell on the stern of the. vessel connected .to the shaft, parallel rock-shafts j ournaled in'contact in the shell, a propeller-blade ,on each rock-shaft, and means to rock the shafts to vary the inclination of, or to reverse the blades. 1

3. Ina propeller for vessels,,the combination with a rearwardly-extending ta'perin shell, means to attach the shell to the vesse and to connect it. to turn with the shaft, parallel rock-shafts journaled in contact in the shell, a propeller-blade on each rock-shaft outwardly extending from the shell, said blades being concave on their corres onding faces, lever-arms connected respectively to each-"'rock-shaft, links on the outer ends of the lever-arms, a cross-head connecting the links, a shifting-bar connected to the crosshead, and means to shift the shifting-barto shift or reverse the blades.

' journaled in the vessel and adaptedto be rotated always in the same direction, of a rearwardly-extending tapering shell on the stern of the vessel, means to connect the shell to rotate with the vessel and screw-propeller, blades carried on said shell and outwardly extending therefrom, said blades having their greater portion arranged at the rear of their cross-axes, and their front margins rearwardly and outwardly inclined, and being formed with concave faces to stiike the water, said concave faces, being curved outwardly toward their rear margins with a gradually-increasing pitch, substantially as described and shown. I

5. In a propeller for navigable vessels, the combinationwith the main shaft journaled in the vessel and adapted to be rotated in one direction, of a tapering, shell rearwardly extending from thestern of the vessel, flexible connections between the shell and the shaft, parallel rock-shafts journaled in contact in a chamber in the wider portion of said shell, a screw-pro eller blade secured on each rockshaft an outwardly extending from said shell, said blades being concave on the surface which strikes the water with a gradually-increasing pitch, curved lever-arms connected to the respective rook-shafts, said arms being arranged to extend res ectively around the opposite rock-shafts, li s pivotally connected to the outer ends of said lever-arms, a cross-head ivotally connected to therear'ends of said inks, a shifting-bar connected to said cross-head, and means longitudinally to move the shifting-bar to shift theposition of the blades.

6. In a propeller for navigable vessels, the combination with the main shaft journaled in the vessel in ball-bearings and adapted to be rotated in one direction, of a tapering shell'rearwardly extending from the stern of "-tion, and bu each rock-shaft and outwardly extending from said shell, lever-arms connected to the respective rock-shafts, links pivotally connected to the outer ends of said lever-arms, a cross-head ivotally connected to the rear ends of said inks,'a shifting-bar connected to said cross-head, operating-levers connected to said cross-head to shift the b ades, means to lock the o crating-levers in adjusted posi- Eer-springs suitably arranged to engage with said parts and o pose a yielding resistance to the strains on t e blades.

' 7. In a propeller for navigable vessels, the combination with the main'shaft journaled in the .vessel and adapted to be rotated in one direction, of a tapering shell rearwardly extending from the stern of the vessel, the widest portion of said shell being arran ed adjacent to-the stern. of the vessel, flexi le connections between the shell and the shaft, parallel rock-shafts j ournaled in contact in a chamberin the wider portion of said shell, a

screw-propeller blade secured on each rockshaft and outwardly extending from said shell, said blades being concave on the surface which strikes the water with a gradually-increasing pitch, lever-arms connected to the respective rock-shafts, links pivotally connected to the outer ends of said leverarms, a cross-head pivotally connected to the rear ends of said links, ashifting-bar connected to the center of sa d cross-head and 'rearwardly extending through a bearing in the, shell, 8/(30111160t1Ilg-8III1 suitably jour naled and engaging at its. lower end with a groove in the rear end of the shiftingbar, and operating-levers connected tosaid connectingarm longitudinally to move the.

shifting-bar to shift the blades, substantially as described and shown.

8. In a propeller for navigable vessels, the

combination with the main shaft journaled in the vessel in ball-bearings and adapted to be rotated in one direction, of a tapering shell rear-wardly extending from the stern of the vessel and having a slightly convex surface, the widest portion of said shell bein ar'-' ran ed adjacent to the stern of the vesse of a su stantially spherical front portion on the shell fitting within a corresponding socket in the stern of the vessel, a ball fitting a socket in said front portion of the shell and journaled' therein, a fork on. the end of the shaft embracing said ball, said ball being j ournaled in said fork, parallel rock-shafts journaled in contact in a chamber in the wid er portion of said shell, a screw-propeller blade secured on each rock-shaft and outwardly extending from said shell said blades being. concave on the-surface which strikes the water with a gradually-increasing pitch, curved lever-' arms connected to the respective'rockshafts,

.in the vessel in ball-bearings and adapted to be rotated in one direction, of a tapering shell rearwardl extending from the stern bf the vessel and aving a slightly convex sur- 1 face, the widest portion of said shell bein arran ed adjacent to the stern of the vesse of a su stantially spherical front portion of the shell fitting within a corresponding socket in the stern of the vessel, a ball fitting a socket in said front portion of the shell and journaled therein, a fork on the end of the shaft embracing said ball, said ball being journaled in said fork, parallel rock-shafts journaled in contact in a chamber in the wider portion of said shell, a screw-propeller blade secured in each rock-shaft and outwardly extending from said .shell, said blades being concave on the surface which strikes the water with a gradually-increasin pitch, curved leverarms connected to tie respective rock-shafts, said arms being arranged to extend respectively around the opposite rock-shaft, links blades, buffer-springs arranged between said ssasm pivotally connected .to the outer ends of said evers, a cross-head pivotally connected to 3 the rear ends of said links, a shifting Ibex connected to the center of said cross-*ead and rearwardly extending through a bearing in the shell, a curved shoe ivota'lly secured to the stern of the vessel ow the shell and rearwardly and upwardly extending around the shell and provided with a slot fitting a ide-bolt above, means to swing and to slide the shoe sli htly longitudinally to adjust :said shoe on its iearing. a slotted bracket on said shoe, a connecting-arm journaled on said shoe to fit in the guide-'slot of said bracket and engaging at its lower end with a groove in the rear end of the shifting-bar, a'forwardly-extending operating-lever pivotally 50 connected to the u per end of said connecting-arm, bearings or. said operating-lever, a hand-lever connected to slide said operatinglever forward and back to shift or reverse the hand-lever and shoulders on said operatinglever, and a latch on said hand-lever engaging with a suitable rack to lock the pants in adjusted position;

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature 6: in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH A. ARTHUR.

Witnesses:

FRANK -J. HUGHES, WM. F. BENoND. 

